Machinery-efficiency recorder.



Patented July 8, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IN VENTOR. ;Z9' W I a A TTORNF Y J G. MUINTUSH.

MACHINERY EFHCXENOY EECOEDEE.

APPLL'JA 11cm rum) b110, us. 1911.

3 SHEETS SHEET 3.

WITNESSES 11v VENTOR. WIZ/ Zp174-FI7 CW ATTORNEY.

QHN G. M INTOSH, OF SEATTLE, VIASHINGTON.

MACIdINERY-EFFIGI EN CY RECORDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 8 1913.

I Application flied December 16, 1911. Serial No. 666,308.-

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN 'G. l\ [CIN'1OSI-l,- citizen 'of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of \Va'shingtou, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Machinery Efficiency Recorders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic means for graphically recording the rate of progress and the results of the operations that may be effected by machinery employed in sawing logs'into the form of lumber of all the various -kinds and for recording the number arid a description of the logs operated upon; and. the object of my invention is to provide automatic means whereby in the operation of a saw mill the degree ofefticiency of'the'machinery for any period of time may be determined accurately and whereby may be recorded automatically a dcscriptionof the product of each machine with respect toits form, quality and quant-ity,'. and further, whereby may be recorded automatically the particular hour and minute of the day at which any particular operation is effected. 'I'at-t-ain such objectby devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings whereinl I Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of essential parts of my invention, as they are disposed on mill machinery which is indicated partly in cross-section, Figs. 23 and l are each a perspective view of a detail of my invention, Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of a part of my invention, partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal-section,

,Fig. 6 shows a modified form of a part of my invention, Fig. 7 isa view in perspective showing different parts of my invention and their respective dispositions, Figs. 89 and 10 show, each by perspective view a form of the guide strips employed in my invention for guiding and governing the key-rods shown in Figs. 2-3 and 4, Fig. 11 is a perspective view of parts of my invention, Fig. 12 is a view in perspective of a fragment of same, Fig. 13 is a view in rear elevation showing the position of several parts of my invention, Figs. 14 and 15 are perspective views of fragments of my invention and Fig. 16 shows in perspective a detail thereof.

In the operation of a saw-mill with a given crew of men the pr d ion of lumher of a g ven Kind may diff r greatly in porting girder,

amount from day .to day The etlicienc of the men and machinery may be of the h1gh-' est somedays though the out-put of product may be small owing to adverse conditions, while on other days conditions may cause-a large production, comparatively, though the.

machinery may not be operated to its fullcapacity by reason ofneglect a nd inatten '89 By my invention any inefficiency ofma tion of workmen.

chinery or workmen may be detected, the causes of trouble and undue delays located, the quality, class, dimensions and quantity of product recorded and the amount of time consumed in effecting any given operation be determined; thus the manager-0f a'sawmill may have a knowledgeof "conditions that will enable him to acquire and-main tain a high degree of efiiciency in workmen and machinery. Briefly my invention comprises automaticmeans for printing upon a strip of moving paper (that moves at a kno'wn rate of speed by motion communicated'by clockwork .or-

other mechanism) a record of'the different operations that are effected in the process of sawing a log as such operations sucoes- 'sively occur, and manual means -for actuating said automatic means to print data relating to time, quantity, and quality,:fo'rm and dimensions of the product of a mill.

In practical operationsthe printing de vice of my invention maybe disposed upon a bench or other-suitable-support in proximity to the carriagc'of a saw-mill whereby some of its parts may engage with projecting parts of mechanism associated with the keys of a key-hoard when -such keys are depressed, such mechanism-Liming suitably disposed on said carriage tof effect such engagement when said mechanism passes said printing device in its ride bhclr and'forth on said carriage. Such disposition of the record-printing mechanism andiof the keyboard mechanism of my invention is indi-.- cated in Fig. 1 of the drawings wherein 17 is the floor of a movable saw-mill carriage.

of well known construction which carriage is indicated by a fragmentary view invertical crosssection of some of its parts while other of its parts are shown in side elevation, 18 indicating floor beams,

and 20 indicates parts of the running gear. indicated the logsetting device 21 with one of its operating levers 2 which device 21' Upon the floor 17 is 19 a supfin line P ends 26.

closing case 25.

keys and each of which rows is associated is shown merely to indicate its position on said carriage with relation to the position' of the inclosing case 23 of the key-board" mechanism whose parts will hereinafter be particularly described. Upon a stationary bench 24 adjacent tosaid carriage, is disposed the inclosing' case 25 of a recordprinting -mechanism whose parts also will be specifically described hereinafter. Y

The function of the-key-boa'rd mechanism disposed within inclosing case 23 is to act upon longitudinally movable rods whose ends-26 project through and outwardly from that side of inclosing case 23 adjacent to the mechanism disposed on the bench 24 whereby such ends 26 each independently may be caused to project outwardly farther from inclosingcase 23 as may be desired to engage with projecting parts of the recordprinting mechanism containedwithin in- Suchoutward movement of any particular rod-end 26 may be effected by a depression of one of the keys in the row of keys associated with it, there being disposed in the key-board 27 nine longitudinal rows of keys, each row containing six with and adapted to control a particular rod-end 26 as most clearly indicated by Fig. 7 wherein is shown arow of six keys disposed on key-board 27 immediately over and with the axis of'each of the rod- For purposes of illustration I have shown the key-board 27 as adapted for cooperating with the, recorvdprinting mechanism whereby ma'y be recorded arbitrarily selected characters that may be interpreted ,to indicate the different causes of losing time in the operation of 'a mill, the' brand-mark found on the different'logs operated upon, their diameter in units and tens of inches and their lengths in units and tens of feet. Thus in Fig. 7- the first and second or'upper-most two rows are appropriated to information respecting lost time, the third row from the top operates to indicate the brand-markof a. log, the fourth row may operate to indicate the. grade of a log, the fifth and sixth rows may operate to indicate in inches the diameter of a log, while the seventh, eighth and ninth rows near the lower edge of the key-board 27 are adapted to operate to indicate the length of logs.-

Referring to Fig. 7 the first key at the shown as blank in such case the blank-key at left hand of each row is or unmarked while the live remaining keys of each row are each inscribed with a numher or with letters. A depression-of any one of the inscribed keys, acting throughl means hereinafterdescribed, will serve to move the rodend26, with which it is associated, outwardly through the side of t io case 23 for a predetermined distance, such I distance being different for each key of a given row of keys. For instance if the key of the bottom row which is inscribed with the number 1 be depressed, the lowest rod end 26, (disposed immediately beneath said key Ho. 1,) would be moved outwardly a certain distance but if number 2 key of the same row be depressed the same rod-end 26 would be forced outwardly to a certain greater distance, or if instead of key num key number 2 being depressed we her 1 or should depress key number 3 then the same and so on, the depression of key number 5 of the same row forcing the same lowest rod-end 26 outwardly to its greatest predetermined distance and thus it is in the case of the five inscribed keys of each row, such five keys acting in like manner to control the longitudinal movement and position of.

rod-end 26 with which they are associated. The blank-key at the left hand end of each row of keys when depressed acts to permit an inward movement-of respective rod-end 26 whereby such rod-end 26 may return to the normal position it occupied before-.it was forced outwardly by one of the inscribed keys. Thus if key number 3 of the ninth and bottom row be depressed erroneously when it really be desired to defiress key number 2 of the same row, then the left hand end of such row may be depressed whereupon its its normal position and thereupon the really desired key number 2 may be depressed and thus correct the error.

Each of the rodends 26-form the end of a rod 28 as shown in Fig. 5 which rod 28 is disposed to. move longitudinally and freely within a cylinder 29. The left hand end of cylinder 29 is counterbored to form a recess within which a spiral spring 30 may be disposed to surround the rod 28 such ecess being closed at its outer end by a cap 31 which also serves as a guide and support to the rod 28. The spiral spring 30 is disposed on rod 28 to extend between the inner surface of the cap 31 and a pin 32 disposed in rod 28 whereby said spring 30 may act to force the rod inwardly in a direction toward the right hand as indicated in Fig. 5 in the drawing.

Referring to Fig. 7, one of the cylinders Normally the rod-ends 26 are maintained in a position at the top of the oblong holes 34 l by the means of a fiat spring 35 as illusrod-end 26 may move inwardly to.

lowest rod-end 26 would be forced out- 'wardly for a still greater certain distance sesame through which project the ends of pin 37 which'is fixcd'in rod 28 as indicated in Fig. I, the normal position of said'rod- 28, owing to the spring 30', being such'tl'iat. the pi'ns'37 normally engage with the right hand end of U1 theholes 36 in the cylinder 29L Each of the inscribed kcys'of'eachrow is mounted on the end-of a key'rod 38 which ex ehds downwardly. through' the key-board 27 and through guiding holes in a cross-bar 39. Fig. 4clcarly shows in perspective oneform of construction of the key-rod 38 on which is disposed a collar 41. \Vhen disposed in the case 23 each key-rod 38 is surrounded by a spiral spring 40 which extends between the 2 0 upper cross-bar 39 and the under side of board 27.

. collar 41,. This spiral spring serves nor mally to maintain key-rod 38 in its highest position, wit-hthe upper surface of collar 41 in contact with the under surface of key- Each of the lower ends of the key-rods 38 is square in form and projects through square guiding holes 42 in a crosshar 43 as shown in Fig. 7, which cross-bar 43 is shown in perspective inFig'. 8. Disso posed above cross-bar 43v is amovable slidebar 44 provided with oblong rectangular holes 45-through each of which holes 45 a key-rod B8 may-pass. Said slide-bar 4-4 is .slidably'inounted to move longitudinally in slotted supports 46 disposed one at each end of slide-bar 44 where such support 46 is fastened to the sides of case 23. One of said slide bars 44 mounted in said support 46 is shown in perspective view in Fig. 9. Within .40 the slot of the right hand support 46 is dispesed a bowed spring 47 adapted normally toztorce the slide-bar 44 in a direction toward theleft hand to'a distance limited by r the right hand side of the key-rods 38 when '45 they engage with the right handends of v the iectana'ular holes 45. Each of the/keyrods 38 on the right hand side is provided with cam-like projections 48 which serve to force the slidwbar 44 toward the right hand overcoming the force of spring 47 in respouse to a depressionof one of the five inscribed keys which key when depressed to its full extent makes the cam-like projection 48 on key-rod 38 passclear through the 1 hole 45 of the slide-bar 44 whereupon the spring 47 forces slide-bar 44 back to the left to cngag with the top of the projection 48 thus holding such key in a locked depressed I position until released by a depression of the blank-key at the end of its respective row, the key-rod 49 of such blank-key being also supplied by a similar earn-like projection '50 which upon beingdepr essed forces the slide-bar 44 fari enough to the right to +50 key-rod, of the inscribed key depressed, thus when an inscribedkeyis depressed it is automatically locked inlts depressed position but. may be released upon a depression of the blank-key of the same row.

Therodwnd 526 may he moved outwardly to the left through one of the oblong holes 34 to -a desired predetermined distance in response io the downward movement of a rod 38 by the action of a pair of wedges 51 which are attached to the lower end of each. of the kc \-'-rods 38 which pair of wedges 51 is adapted to engage with one of the pins37 which is associated with the shaft 28 in the manner hereinbeforc' described. Comniencing with the first inscribed key of any row of five inscribed keys, the pair of wedges 51 on the lower end of the key-rod of such inscribed key is the narrowest pair of wedges 51 of the pairs in. the same row, the second pair being wider, the third pair still wider and so on successively to the right hand end of the row, the last pair being widest of all; thus, for instance referrin to F ig.'7, in the bottom or lowest row of keys, key number 1: when depressed would project rod end 26 outward a small distance, a depression of number would force it out a litt-lerfarther, alike depression of number 3 would project it still farther, and so on, key number 5 projecting it to its farthest point.

The cylinder 29 has no longitudinal movement and a little ways from the righthand end of each of the slots 36' on both sides, of cylinder 29 is disposed a p'rojecting pin 52- .key r'od 49 shown inFig. 2, and only when 7 one of such blank-keys is depressed may an inscribed key of the same row be released after its depression. The remaining blankkeys however of the six upper rows of keys v have. key-rods 53 which are formed like keyrod 53 as shown in Fig. 3, wherein it is pro vided with a hole 54through which a pin may pass to connect. in a hinge-like manner the rod 53 with a pair of lugs 55 which project upwardly from cylinders 29 of the upper six rows of keys. Such connection between key-rod 53 and lugs 55 is shown in Fig. 7 where a portion of the side of case 23 is indicated as broken away. Thus a depression of the blank-key of either of the upper six rows of keys may 'serve to unlock and release an inscribed key of its own row but upon removing ones finger from such blank-key the key will immediately be forced upward by the spiral spring 40 to "gether with iZS key-rod 5'5 andIt-he end of h 100 and between such pin 52 and the'pln' 37,0. pair its respective cylinder 2!) so that its respec-' tive rod-end 26 will engage with the topiif its respective hole 34.

ate its respective rod-end 2b to project out-- .wardly from the side of the ,case. 23 for'-a distance predetermined whereby such rodend. 26 may engage with. a part of a"re ror(l printing mechanism which may be disposed upon a stationary bench as indicated in Fig. t such engagement taking place. when the travel bf the carriage on which nclosmg case 23 is disposed causes such rod-end 26 to pass the mechanism of inclosing case 25.

One form of construction ofthe essential.

features of the-record-printing mechanism disposed-in inelosingcase 25 is shown in' Figs. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 1(3. Referring to Fig. 13 there is diagrammatically shown one .form of the essential parts of the print ing mechanism that may be actuatedin response to the varymgposition of one of the rod-ends 26 which varying-position maybe determ ned by the several keys of a row on key-boardlt'. A ribbon of paper 56 leading from a roll of paper 57 passes around the right hand side of a roller'fis shown in' end elevation, thence may lead to suitable mechanism not shown whereby such paper} ribbon 56 maybe caused to move on and past the roller 58 at' a known constant rate of speed, or have stamped upon it auton'iatically by a time clock' thc tiine of each operation.

5G and the length of the roller-5S may be such as will permit nine type suppo'rtiug devices 59 to be disposed in a row side by side so that the middle type of the fivetypes contained in each of the type-holders 60 is in line. with and of the same elevation as .theaxis of the roller 58 whereby inoperation nine. columns of characters might be ner indicated in Fig. 13.

The type holder (i0-isshown more clearly in Fig.1.; and consists in a box-like structure having five longitudinal slots 61 through each of its two largest sides and having longitudinal grooves (32- disposed in its walls within whereby five types may be disposed to move. back and forth freely such movement being limitedby pin 63 (projecting from eacliside of each type) which engages with-the ends of'the slot 61. have shown in Fig. 15 one type (it as plOJClllig from the type-holder (it) such type (it is shown as blank but might be adapted to print. any desired character. The position. in which type (34 is shown indicates the position a type would have wheirprinting on the paper ribbon 56. Each of the five types The width of. the paper-ribbon fti3 guided by the curved edge. 68

of each of the type-holders G0 is articulated with a type-rod (33 as shown in Fig. 14.

whereby a longitudinal movement may be communicated to a type to impel it-against the paper ribbon 56. At the top'and bot tom of each of the largest sideofthetype holder 60 is a guiding lug 66 adapted to fit and engage with a guiding groove 67'fdis posed within the sides of each of the type Supporting cases 59 wherein one of the type holders ('iO-is disposed and adapted'to niove upward or downward in response to the eainlike action of pinstiii when engaging with tlHECUH-"Otl edges (38 0f the-depression in diagram of Fig. 13 a nd thus when a character on such aniiddle Jtype is -to be printed no vertical movement of th'e-type-f ,holder 60 takeszplace, but iftype to'be inipi'essed upon the paper ribbon 56"be, say, the top type in t-hetype-ho'ld'er 60'thenthe action of the pins-(33 of such-type in encated by broken line iILFig. 13);will cause the type-holder 60 to be forced-downward againstthe lower spring 70 tillisuchtop ,type is opposite the proper point-of the paper 56 on the roller- 58;for'printing;and

in like manner any. other one of the "types of a type-holder 60 is guidedjtb thefip'roper point of pri-ntingby the action type-rods 65 are articulated atthe eiij'ds dis tant from the type, each .witli onei ofxarow of five arms7l whichii'rm. 71 by. its swing? ing movementmay communicate motion to" a type to print'as indicated 1n 'F1g; 13;

where the middle arm 71- is'shownas hav ing forced the middle-type against paper 56.] The arms 71- are each fixed-r pen a shaft 79 which projects through and is sup'- ported by the'w'alls' ofa hole inagcranleboard 73 a fragment of. which board with arm 71. and shaft 72 are shown in Fig. 12. A, spiral spring, 74 isconnectedyw th 'a cross-arm 75 which is fixed on said shaft ,7) whereby its retractile force may act on arm 71 and type-bar G5 to w thdraw a type after it has finished an operation of printin and hringithe arm-71 and cross-arm back to their normal vertical position. The, shafts '72 of each row of tive'arms 71- projeet' through the crank-board 73 where they are each bent at a riglit'angle to form a. erankft) whereby movement of said crank 76 may actuate a shaft- 72 to commun cate motion to a type-bar 65. y r

Fig. 11 shows in perspective the-form 'of f tions thereon of the nine rows of cranks 7d case 23 past the stationary case 25.

oeegea the crank-board 7 3 and the relativedisposis each of which rows includes five cranks 76 and each of which rows corresponds with a set 'of five: type-bars 65 and a type-holder 6'0 with its five type and also with a row of five. inscribed keys of the key-board 27. in Fig.

1-1 I have indicated the thin edge oflthe crank-board 73 with the number 77 to cob respond with the edge 77 of the same crankboard 73 as shown in Fig. 1 whereby the position of said crank-board ,73 may be clearly shown in Fig.1, and whereby may be seen how each of the rod-ends 26 may engage with any one of its respective row of cranks 7 6 when the 'mill carriage carries the In Fig. 11 it will be seen that the board 73, at the point where the crank-shaft 72 of the crank 76 projects through, is thinner than at the point where the shaft of the crank 76 passes through while at the point where crank '76 is located the board 73 is still thicker and so on, the point of location of crank 76. being thickest and hence a rod-end 26 willhave to project outwardly from case 23 to its farthest extent to engage with the crank 76" to swing said crank 76 whilesaid rod-end 26 would move outwardly to its smallest extent to engage with crank 7 6 and to operate the cranks, 76 -76 and 76, respectively,

the rod-end 26 obviously would move outwardly to different respective distances accordingly. Manifestly the engagement of a rod-end 26 with a crank 76 onthe stationary board 7 3 would take place while the carriage moves relatively in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 11 and after engaging with and swinging a crank 76 to actuate the type said r0d-end 26 in its travel immediately hits the diagonal face of a ledge 78 formed by the increased thickness of the board 73 which ledge 78 acting in a cam-like manner swervcs the rod-end 26 from its course, and depressing the cylinder 29, it enters one of the grooves 79 or if it be a rod-end 26 which is adapted to engage with the lmvcst row of cranks 76--76"-- 7G"-76 and 76 it is forced dmvnward to slide along the surface of the lower edge of the board 73 and thus avoid engaging with any other of the cranks 76 in its respective row.

In Fig. 6 is shown a device that may be substituted for the spring 35 which spring 7 35 is associated with each of the lowest three cylinders 29. Such device consists in fastening to the lower end oteach ot the three lowest key-rods 4-!) of the left hand blank keys a hook-shapm'l extension 80 which is adapted to lift the cylinder 2!) when a ke rod 49 is raised by force of its spiral spring 40 in an obvious manner.

WVhile I have shownv my invention as cin- &

.bcn nine rows cf'fiye different kinds of oration.

What I clainris:

1. The combination with tion of a machine, of a recorder-actuating device mounted-on said movable portion of said machine and provided with movable a movable porparts that are adapted to be set in a desired predetermined position, a key-board, each key of which is adapted by intervening mechanism to controi the position of one of said movable'parts of said recorder-51cm sting device, and a recorder device fixed in a position in proximity to the path of said recorder-actuating device so that operative members of its recording mechanism may engage with said movable parts of said recorder-actuating device when said recorderactuating device is caused to pass said recording device.

2. inan apparatus for recording data relating to the operations of machinery, the combination with a recording mechanism, of a key-beard comprising a pluralityof series of actuating keys, a key-rod associated with each of said keys, and a shaft associated with each of said series of said keys, said shaft being slidably mounted in a movable support and adapted to be moved endwise within, said movable support for a given different distance with respect to the action of cuchot the different keys of the series of keys with which it is associated whereby each key of said series of may cause an end of said shaft exclusively to engage with a particular member of said recording mech anism. s

3. In an apparatus for recording data relating to the operation of machinery, the combination with a movable part of a machine, of a time recording and printing mechanism embodied in one structure which is disposed in a fixediposition adjacent to said movable part of said machine, and a plurality of key-actuated mechanisu is Ollibodied in another structure which is dis-- posed upon and attached to said movable part of said machine said keyactuated mechanisms being each disposed and adapted. to engage with a part of said time recording and printing mcchz'inism at times as required to operate said recording and printing mechanisn'i.

4. Juan apparatus 'for recording data relating to the operation of machinery the 7 bodying means for printing on paper rib l combination with a movable part at a machine, of a record-printing mechanism embodied in a structure which is disposed in a fixed position adjacent'to said movable part and a transmitting device embodied in a structure which is mounted upon and attached to said movable part said transmitting device comprising a plurality of shafts each of which is adapted'to be moved endwise for arequired distance to engage with a. particular actuating part of said recordprinting mechanism whereby a particular character may be printed."

5. In an apparatus for recordin data re-- .lating to the operation 0f mac inery, a transmitting device comprising a plurality of series of keys, a key-rod associated with' each of said keys and adapted to be locked in a desired abnormal position, means for unlocking said key-rod to permit it to return to its normal position and a plurality 20 of movable shafts each ofpwhich is associated with one of said series of keys and adapted to be moved endwise by each key}- combinati n with a recording mechanism disposed with respect to said transmitting device so that its operation may be controlled in response to variations in the lengthwise positions of said shafts which shafts are adapted to engage with operative parts of said .recordingmechanism.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this ninthday of December A. D.,

of the series of keys associated with it, in i 

